10 Comics to Watch This Week

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November ends with a slightly slower week.

By Erik Norris & Jesse Schedeen

Welcome to Comics to Watch, a collection of our 10 most anticipated books of the week. As comics grow more expensive with an ever expanding amount of tie-ins, new series, and huge crossovers, our pull lists shrink. That's why we've streamlined this feature down to suit the needs of the average comic book consumer.

Regardless of publisher, genre, or format -- these are the books that have us feverishly awaiting this coming Wednesday to support our local comic book shop. If you're looking for Diamond's complete shipping list for the week, you can check it out here.

Be sure to sound off in the comments below and let us know what you're excited for.

What It Is: Mark Waid and Marcos Martin continue what we're comfortably willing to label one of Marvel's best series currently hitting shelves. In this issue of Daredevil, Matt Murdock goes up against Bruiser and relives some of his late father's worst nightmares from inside the ring. Also, find out how Matt becomes the most dangerous man in the Marvel Universe in this issue.

Why We're Excited: We guess you missed the part where we labeled Daredevil one of Marvel's best books, huh? Well, it's true. Mark Waid and his artistic team of Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin have been firing on all cylinders with this series, and we're not expecting it to let up anytime soon.

What It Is: This week Flash Gordon becomes the latest in an ever-growing lineup of pulp heroes at Dynamite. Flash is joined by familiar allies like Dale and Dr. Zarkov. He won't just be battling Ming the Merciless this time. Flash will also go up against Hitler for some old-school, Nazi-punching action.

Why We're Excited: This is hardly the first time Flash has appeared on the comic scene, but we're definitely intrigued by this particular project. Like with several other Dynamite projects, Alex Ross is providing character designs and story details. Meanwhile, Eric Trautmann has proven himself a strong writer on a number of titles. With a $1 cover price and in a week this light, there's no reason to pass this issue up.

What It Is: Johnny Storm returned in the pages of Fantastic Four #600, but that hasn't miraculously fixed all of the Future Foundation's problems. Now, all hope lies in Doom. Jonathan Hickman and Juan Bobillo show how Victor Von Doom piloting the Future Foundation will lead to humanity's salvation... in theory.

Why We're Excited: Jonathan Hickman has been teasing this turn of events for some time now. Now we finally see Doom step in as the leader of the Future Foundation, in charge of the brightest young minds in the universe. We can't imagine this will end well, but we would be lying if we said we weren't dying to find out what happens next.

What It Is: Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente have been chronicling the misadventures of the Lion of Olympus for over four years now. Sadly, that run finally comes to an end with the finale of Herc. Herc wraps up his latest series by teaming with Elektra and brawling in the streets of Brooklyn.

Why We're Excited: If the series has to go, at least it'll go out with a bang. This issue looks to pack in all the action and craziness we expect from the writers. How well it wraps up this chapter in Herc's life remains to be seen. Hopefully this won't be the last we hear of the character for the time being.

Hot Toys – Christopher Reeve Superman Figure

Manufacturer: Hot Toys/Sideshow Collectibles | Price: $209.99

What It Is: Hot Toys has produced hundreds of high-end figures based on all manner of film characters. Their latest release focuses on one of the great Hollywood superheroes – Christopher Reeve's Superman. This figure sports an accurate likeness and a smorgasbord of accessories. Cellophane S-shield not included, sadly.

Why We're Excited: There has been a handful of attempts to depict Reeve's Supes in collectible form, but none really worth remembering. This figure looks to capture all the power and charm of that iconic portrayal, however. Yes, it's expensive, but Hot Toys products are always worth the investment.

What It Is: Greg Pak and Mirko Colak conclude their brutal, introspective look into the origin of one of the Marvel Universe's greatest villains -- The Red Skull. It's been a sad yet engrossing journey, and we finally see in this issue how everything comes together in a perfect storm of hate and power to witness the birth of the Red Skull.

Why We're Excited: We were not quite sure if Greg Pak was going to have the chops to meet our expectations after he blew us away with the origin story of another major Marvel villain, Magneto, in Magneto: Testament. But lo and behold, Pak has managed to not only meet, but exceed our expectations with this series. Red Skull: Incarnate has been a riveting read since its first issue. We can only hope it finishes up as strongly.

Thor by Kieron Gillen Ultimate Collection - TPB

What It Is: Kieron Gillen has been writing Journey Into Mystery since the series regained that title earlier this year. However, Gillen's work on Thor began several years ago. Fans of JIM can now pick up that entire run in one convenient trade. This volume sees Gillen wrap up J. Michael Straczynski's plot threads, carry the series through Siege, and pave the way for conflicts still playing out today.

Why We're Excited: With these issues, Gillen faced the unenviable task of replacing a hugely popular writer and guiding the book through an event tie-in. But anyone reading Journey Into Mystery now can guess that Gillen pulled off these challenges admirably. These stories are highly entertaining and a great prelude to one of Marvel's best ongoing books.

What It Is: Nick Spencer's critically acclaimed series returns with a new #1, making for a perfect jumping-on point for new readers. Now is your chance to jump aboard this six-issue series that intends to explain why people want to become superheroes when they know their powers will eventually kill them.

Why We're Excited: Speaking bluntly, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents deserves your love and money. The original series was cut short due to the DCU relaunch, so we're beyond ecstatic to see it return, even if it's only for six issues. Also, it's very hard to go wrong with books penned by Nick Spencer. The man has been en fuego as of late, and we don't see his creative well running dry anytime soon.

What It Is: It's a pretty slow week all around, but at least Marvel is double-shipping Uncanny X-Men this month. Kieron Gillen continues his exploration of Cyclops elite squad of X-Men and the resurgent Mister Sinister. Sinister is more dangerous and deranged than ever, and it's clear that even a team with this many powerhouses is going to face a mighty challenge.

Why We're Excited: Uncanny Vol. 2 doesn't offer the fresh start Wolverine and the X-Men does, but considering Gillen's recent work on Vol. 1, that's not such a bad thing. He clearly has a handle on the characters, and we're particularly interested to see how the return of Sinister impacts the book. We've seen the villain many times over the years, but never quite like this.

What It Is: Nathan Drake, Victor Sullivan and the rest of the Uncharted gang make the leap from video games to comic books. Join Drake on a journey into the center of the earth in search of the fabled "Amber Room." But as these things tend to go, Drake's enemies aren't too far behind...

Why We're Excited: We might be huge comic book nerds around here, but we always find time to break from the funny books for Nathan Drake's adventures on PlayStation 3. Now we get to combine our love for Drake's perfect hair and chiseled good looks with our passion for comics. Few things are sweeter than that.